INTRODUCTIONLafayette, Louisiana, is an extraordinary and unique community that knows how to get things done. We have strong community ties and a rich cultural heritage; we have visionary leadership; and we have a vibrant economy to support great ideas. One of these great ideas was the preservation of a 100-acre greenspace in the middle of town with unprecedented opportunities to become a landmark project for the region that could also become a national model for cities of our size. Our robust economy based in oil and gas, as well as medical services, can and will support the development of a world-class park.

To date, Lafayette Central Park, Inc., the non-profit overseeing the development of this signature park, has received $2.6 million in soft-cost funding from the Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority, and has enlisted the help of a ULI Advisory Panel to provide guidance on this process moving forward. This panel included an all-star cast, including Tom Murphy, the former mayor of Pittsburg and senior resident fellow, and chair for Urban Development at ULI; Richard Galehouse, a principal at Sasaki Associates; Eriks Janelsins, the president at the Oglebay Foundation; and Ellen McCarthy, the director of planning and and use at Arent Fox, LLC.

Lafayette Central Park, Inc., is going the extra mile to make sure that this project leaves a lasting legacy for our region, and we are looking for a firm who will take part in making that vision become a reality with us.